Everyone has favorite pieces of clothing that they save. You know the ones: they’re the shorts, socks, or jersey that you reach for before a ride- only to pause and pull out a lesser piece, saving them for the week’s big ride. A synthetic tee may seem like a little thing to get excited about, but Descente’s Seamless Pro-V baselayer is good enough to make me do just that.
Why is that, then? It’s largely down to the fabric. Descente’s Pro-V polypropylene/nylon/polyester/spandex blend is a very comfortable material with more of a cottony than synthetic feel. It has a good amount of stretch, allowing the Seamless Pro-V to be cut close and remain unobtrusive under even snug road jerseys. Finally, it combines a hydrophobic inner layer (which pushes moisture away from itself) with a hydrophilic outer (which draws moisture towards it), to keep the skin very dry and comfortable. Click ‘more‘ to read on and see more photos of our sexy underwear model…
When I picked up the Seamless Pro-V baselayer, I had actually been looking for a short-sleeved wool tee to wear under a long-sleeved jersey for a bit of extra warmth on cold mornings. Unfortunately, none of the wool tops that I could find really seemed to be cut quite right. A local shop had the Descente newly in stock, so I tried one on a whim. The snug, well thought-out fit and very comfortable, somewhat thick fabric had me sold and I happily (especially after looking at wool prices) parted with the $50 retail price.
Since then, the Seamless Pro-V has proved itself to be my ideal winter baselayer. At 6′ tall but only 140lb, I tend to prefer medium jerseys and tops over large in most brands. After trying both on, I decided on the large, which I found a bit more comfortable around my tummy. 
If ordering online or asking your local guys to special order one, it might make sense for most riders to size up. I can’t directly attribute the Descente’s performance to the multi-density knit (seen best in the stock photo at right), but the less-dense fabric under the arms does make sense and the extra-dense bands at the base of the jersey really do help to keep it from being too pouchy down by the hem. The large is long enough to tuck into shorts without being so long that all sorts of fabric is visible through the Lycra (a definite no-no). Ms. Marc likes the look, too, which certainly helps. All in all, the Pro-V is a keeper- and I’m looking forward to adding a long-sleeved version to my closet.
marc
